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Galley Hill Road

On 10 April 2023 a portion of the northern edge of the Swanscombe Quarry collapsed causing a landslide. It led to a lot of chalk and other materials falling to the quarry floor, onto business premises below.

The landslide also took part of the road and footpath of Galley Hill Road. This road is on the chalk above the old quarry site. This, in turn, caused considerable damage to the highway's utility infrastructure. Local phone and broadband services were also affected.

What we're doing

Following a number of non-intrusive surveys, a contractor has been employed to commence intrusive surveys on the road surface. The contractor will start working on site on 15 April 2024, starting on the south side whilst discussions are ongoing with landowners on north side to access the land to enable works to make the cliff safe.

Once full access has been permitted and surveys have been carried out to assess the stability of the remaining chalk ridge, further works can be determined. In the meantime, the road will have to remain closed. The diversion route will continue to be monitored and localised repairs carried out as necessary.

Last updated: 12 April 2024

The road remains closed. View the diversion route:

The alternative route for pedestrians is via:

  • High Street
  • Stanhope Road
  • cycle track from Thames Way to Stanhope Road
  • A226 Thames Way
  • A226 Stonebridge Road
  • A226 Galley Hill Road and vice versa.

There are temporary restrictions on some roads in Galley Hill. This is to encourage drivers to keep to the diversion route. Permanent signs are in place alongside temporary restrictions along the diversion route.

Traffic lights at either end of the diversion are off. We have made changes to the lights at High Street Swanscombe and Galley Hill Road. This is to help traffic flow freely.

As the area is very populated and traffic flow is high, congestion may still remain.

Due to the closure of Galley Hill Road, bus routes in the area have changed. Below is a list of route changes in the area affected.

You can find timetables for an Arriva services on the Arriva website.

Services affected are:

470, 480 and 490

Since July 2023, routes 480 and 490 have been split in Gravesend. Journeys east of Gravesend are now numbered 480A/490A (see below). Through ticketing is available between 470/480/480A/490/490A.

Route 480 operates via:

  • Thames Way
  • Ebbsfleet Gateway
  • Southfleet Road
  • Stanhope Road
  • High Street.

This is the stretch from Ebbsfleet Stadium to Swanscombe George and Dragon.

Route 490 goes via Ebbsfleet International and the A2 between Ebbsfleet Stadium and Bluewater. It no longer serves Swanscombe or London Road (Greenhithe).

Evening trips between Gravesend and Dartford are now bus 470. The route is the same as route 480. It will continue to serve Bluewater on the way to Dartford.

480A and 490A (new routes)

The 480A and 490A now support Gravesend and Riverview Park. The route stays the same as the 480 and 490, east of Gravesend before the Galley Hill Road Closure. Through ticketing is available between 470/480/480A/490/490A.

Fastrack B

From 3 March 2024, Fastrack B has a new timetable. It reflects the longer journey time of traveling via the A2. This is as a result of the closure of Galley Hill Road. Fastrack B operates via:

  • A2
  • B255
  • London Road between Ebbsfleet International and Ingress Park.

The nearest Fastrack B stop to Swanscombe is Manor Way Roundabout.

The journey time now includes:

  • an extra 7 minutes per journey between Ebbsfleet and Bluewater
  • layover recovery time at Temple Hill. This is in case delays or disruption on the inbound journey from Gravesend.

To make these changes, Arriva have increased the time between Fastrack B buses from 12 to 15 minutes. We expect to deliver a much more reliable Fastrack B service. The previous timetable did not reflect the closure.

Fastrack AZ

Fastrack AZ now runs on the A2 between Ebbsfleet International Station and Greenhithe Station. It no longer goes to Ingress Park or Swanscombe.

For Ingress Park, use Fastrack B and interchange with Fastrack A/AZ at Greenhithe Station. For Swanscombe, the nearest Fastrack stop is the Manor Way Roundabout stop (Fastrack B).

3 (school route)

This service now runs via a new route. It serves:

  • Springhead Park
  • Southfleet Road
  • Stanhope Road
  • Swanscombe High Street.

34 (school route)

This service now runs via a new route. It serves Castle Hill (Ebbsfleet) and uses:

  • Southfleet Road
  • Stanhope Road
  • Swanscombe High Street to reach London Road.

Utilities

We are continuing to work with utilities to facilitate any diversionary works required to ensure continued service.

For any issues with power, water or broadband, contact your supplier.

Who to contact if your property or business has been affected

At this stage we cannot offer any further information on the cause of the landslide, how it will be remedied or how long the road will be closed.

If you have concerns regarding the affect or impact the issue is having on your property or your business, then your initial point of contact should be your insurers.